While specifically addressing the complications that can arise during breast feeding, it should be noted that most women find the vast majority of their nursing experiences to be some of their most intimate and beautiful times with their children. Many mothers experience difficulties with lactation. Within 72 hours of giving birth, often women experience engorgement of their breasts as their breasts start producing more milk to meet the needs of a nursing infant. More blood flows to the breasts and some of the surrounding tissue can swell, eliciting swollen, tender, throbbing breasts. Fortunately, engorgement passes quickly (24 to 48 hours if nursing regularly) for most women. Unfortunately, when engorgement does not resolve, it can lead to more serious and painful complications of breastfeeding. This can result in problems not only for the mother but for the feeding infant as well.
Clogged ducts are the enemy of a nursing mother. Milk does not flow freely with clogged ducts, which can result in the feeding infant's nutritional demands not being met. Sometimes a milk duct leading from the milk-making cells through an area of the breast and nipple get plugged (blocked), resulting in a tender lump beneath the areola, and potentially a wedge-shaped area of redness extending from the lump back towards the wall of the chest. While the initial discomfort of a clogged duct may come and go, if left untreated clogged ducts may become infected resulting in mastitis or diminished milk supply.
Mastitis is an infection of the breast tissue. In addition to breast pain, swelling, warmth, and redness of the breast, mastitis also includes flu-like symptoms, such as headache, fever, chills, and exhaustion.
Recommended treatment of engorgement, clogged ducts, and mastitis include the application of heat or cold therapy as well as the continued expression of milk from the breast(s), either by nursing or pumping. By reducing the speed of impulses conducted by nerve fibers pain sensations are reduced by cold. Additionally, cold causes constriction of the blood vessels and veins thereby reducing swelling. While it is not well known how the administration of heat reduces pain, it is well known that heat therapy produces a “relaxing and soothing” feeling to the patient as well as opening blood vessels, increasing blood flow, and helping to increase milk flow. When a nursing mother is able to relax, the oxytocin hormone is released, which stimulates milk expulsion while stimulating prolactin, which helps in the production of milk.
New breast feeding mothers are prone to neck tension and discomfort from looking down at their babies and breasts while nursing. This posture creates neck, head and shoulder tension, which can restrict blood-flow in the neck area, which in turn may restrict blood flow to the breast area resulting in possible restricted milk production and restricted milk expulsion.
While often painful, emptying the milk from the affected breast frequently is important to recovering from the aforementioned conditions. In particular, pumping via an automated breast pump can be beneficial due the fact that the pumping speed and suction can be increased/decreased accordingly.
In order to provide some relief, individual cold packs and warm compresses are utilized. However, this approach is cumbersome and inefficient, requiring a “spare hand” to hold the pack or compress in place, that a nursing mother simply does not have. A mother simply cannot apply a compress, pump (or nurse), and care for her infant simultaneously with just two hands. When treating for clogged milk ducts, in addition to heat and suction, massaging the affected area becomes impossible. Existing products require a mother to stuff thermal packs inside her bra with direct contact with the skin, which can be uncomfortable, unsightly and can possibly burn the skin.
Beyond nursing mothers, this invention is also well suited for woman who experience breast discomfort from breast cancer treatments and any type of breast related surgery, hot flashes and even PMS. Nursing women and non-nursing women who suffer from Raynaud's Disease can also benefit greatly from this invention in that it aids in blood circulation to effected areas. Inflammation from treatments and surgery can be treated with cold breast therapy, and the combination of warm and cold therapy helps circulate good blood to the effected area resulting in faster recovery times.